LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mayor Linda Gorton joined Dr. Everett McCorvey at Historic St. Paul AME Church to preview the second annual In One A-Chord: Lexington Sacred Music Festival, according to a city announcement. The week-long celebration runs Oct. 3–11 across Lexington venues.

The festival, which originated as part of the city's 250th anniversary celebration, features more than 20 sacred music experiences spanning churches, chapels, sanctuaries, museums, nature preserves, and concert halls. "The Sacred Music Festival was originally part of our city's 250th anniversary celebration, and we are excited to continue this wonderful event that showcases our city's rich talent and history," Gorton said in a statement.

This year's expanded programming extends beyond traditional sacred music to include poetry, storytelling, theater, art, design, and literature, organizers said. Dr. Everett McCorvey, executive producer of In One A-Chord, noted the broader approach aims to reflect diverse understandings of "sacred." "We aim to highlight our commonality and the beauty in what makes us unique and different," McCorvey said.

Historic St. Paul AME Church, a festival venue, marks its own milestone this year: the bicentennial of its sanctuary. The church, established in 1820, is also celebrating its recent inclusion on the National Park Service's Underground Railroad Network to Freedom list. Kentucky has other verified Underground Railroad locations, but St. Paul AME stands out as the state's primary nationally recognized church structure with this designation.

Rev. Dr. Walter R. Henry, Historic St. Paul's pastor, connected the festival's focus to the church's historical significance. "One of the survival mechanisms in our community was our music," he said. "It reminded us that there was hope, it called us to maintain faith, and it pushed us to see with our hearts in our spirits, and not just our eyes. Sacred music is more than entertainment; it gives us a foundation on which we can stand."